Latest Articles
Tab search feature looks set to arrive with Chrome OS 86
If you keep a million tabs open, this will make it easier to find the one you need
If you're the type of person who keeps way too many tabs open across multiple browser windows — looking at you, Ryne Hager — a tab search feature would no doubt come in handy. Thankfully, that's exactly what Google has been working on. A functional version of the feature can be found in the latest Chrome OS 86 dev channel build, which suggests it'll be present in the next stable update.
Google is bringing Secure DNS to Chrome on Android
As of Chrome 85, the Android app will offer safer browsing in line with the desktop version
The Google Chrome browser on desktop debuted a feature called Secure DNS a few months ago with version 85, and now the Android app is catching up. With Chrome 85, Google is extending support to the mobile app so users can get additional peace of mind while surfing the web.
The Harman Kardon Citation 200 will be available to buy in October
It was first announced back in January, but it's finally going on sale
Read update
High-end audio brand Harman Kardon is owned by Samsung these days, but it's still capable of some fine hardware, as I discovered when I reviewed the Citation One speaker about this time last year. It's part of a wider range of Google Assistant-enabled products that sound much better than most other smart speakers, which is now being expanded with several new devices.
JBL unveils true wireless earbuds with ANC and a bunch of new speakers
Brand-new PartyBox On-The-Go joined by updated models such as Xtreme 3, Go 3, and Clip 4
In an ideal world, we'd be at the IFA 2020 trade show in Berlin right now learning about Harman and subsidiary JBL's new products in person, but the new reality means we've had to settle for digital briefings this time around. Nevertheless, the company is launching a raft of new products, headlined by new true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation.
Leaked GoPro Hero9 renders appear to confirm new front-facing color screen
Vloggers will no longer need to buy an additional accessory
GoPro has long been the go-to for action cams, but previous models in the Hero line have required an additional front display mod if you want to see yourself while you film. With the upcoming Hero9, it looks as though that's about to change. Leaked renders show what resembles a full-color front-facing display in place of the usual black and white status screen.
Samsung accidentally leaks Galaxy Z Fold2 price on UK site days before official reveal
Looks like it'll be slightly cheaper than the 1st-gen model, but not by much
Samsung is all set to fully unveil its latest foldable phone at an Unpacked event on September 1, but there's seemingly very little about the device they'll be able to tell us that we don't already know. Images, videos, and specs have all leaked or been shared one way or another, but we now have potentially definitive information from a very reputable source. But we now have definitive confirmation of the price from Samsung itself, at least in the UK.
Xiaomi plans to launch a phone with an under-display camera next year
Notches and punch-hole cutouts be damned
Ever since the first notched phone hit the market, we've all been yearning for the next evolution in smartphone design. Under-display cameras have been in the works for some time — I got to see an Oppo prototype last year — but ZTE will be the first company to announce a phone featuring the futuristic tech that you can actually buy next month. Not to be outdone, Xiaomi has unveiled its third-generation under-display camera solution which it aims to include in a product sometime next year.
Fitbit unveils new stress-detecting Sense smartwatch alongside updated Versa 3 and Inspire 2
Sense packs Google Assistant plus advanced health features like ECG and skin temperature measurements
After a recent leak spoiled the surprise, Fitbit has just announced its three big new products for 2020. The headline product comes in the form of the brand-new Fitbit Sense, the company's most advanced health-tracking smartwatch to date. At the same time, both the Versa and Inspire series get iterative updates that add enough new features to make them worth considering.
Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra hands-on: High end, high fashion, high price
Big phones that raise big questions
Samsung's first "Ultra" phone, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, received at best a lukewarm critical reception. Consumers didn't seem to respond, either, as sales figures have not been strong. And while some of that boils down to trying to sell an extremely expensive phone during a global economic and health catastrophe, a lot of it was just down to what you got for the money. Samsung banked big on cameras a key selling point for the S20 Ultra, and they simply weren’t up to scratch. There’s a lot riding on the Galaxy Note20 series to redeem that phone, and the Note20 Ultra in particular. We went hands-on with both of the new Notes, and here are our thoughts.The Note20 Ultra starts at $1,300, which is $100 less than the S20 Ultra but still an awful lot for a smartphone. In a world where you can get a OnePlus Nord for less than $500 and the excellent Pixel 4a for just $350, the Note20 Ultra faces an uphill battle in proving its worth. Meanwhile, the standard Note20 starts at a seemingly more reasonable $1,000, but it represents a substantial downgrade in multiple areas.I was invited to spend a little time with the new Note20 lineup at a socially distanced briefing event here in London, UK.
Google accidentally outs possible Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) launch date in blog post
Mistake by Google France points to another October release
After struggling for years to contain the many Pixel leaks, Google now does things a little differently by showing us glimpses of its products ahead of their full unveiling. Even so, it doesn't appear to have been part of the plan to reveal the pre-order date for its upcoming Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) so soon. Someone at Google France seemingly didn't get the memo.
Latest Zoom update adds support for dark mode on Android (APK Download)
A bunch of other upgrades are also included
Zoom has understandably been one of the most popular apps around these last few months as people have had to forgo in-person meetings — both personal and business — for online video chats. The desktop client has had a dark mode for a little while now, but Android users have had to suffer blinding menu screens before jumping into late-night calls. With the latest update, Zoom for Android finally gets dark mode and a few others new features to boot.
OnePlus Nord is now available to buy — here's where you can get it
Although sales in India have been delayed until August 6
The OnesPlus Nord has been one of the most hyped phones in the year, but reviews — including our own — have suggested that it's worth our attention. While pre-orders sold out in almost no time at all, the phone went on general sale today across Europe and Asia. Here's where you can get it from, assuming there's still any stock left.
Here are a bunch of photos from the OnePlus Nord's cameras (Gallery)
A competent main camera with an inconsistent supporting cast
Camera quality has been a major weakness for OnePlus over the years, but it’s really stepped up its game in the last year or two. The OnePlus 7 Pro marked a significant improvement over what had come before, and the 7T Pro and 8 Pro have built on that foundation. The flagship OnePlus camera experience is, therefore, roughly on par with the best Samsung can muster but not at Google or Apple levels quite yet. But what about the new mid-range offering from OnePlus?
Smartphones have become more expensive across the board in recent years, and OnePlus hasn’t been immune to this upward trend. The company has also gradually added many of the features fans and critics have been calling for, such as IP ratings and wireless charging. So while the OnePlus 8 Pro is more expensive than anything that came before it, it also represents the best phone OnePlus has ever produced. The cheaper OnePlus 8 is a bit harder to judge since it misses out on a few key features, and the introduction of the Nord puts in an even more awkward position.
OnePlus got started with affordable so-called “flagship killers” like the OnePlus One and OnePlus 3. But over the years, its phones have become more expensive (as have most phones, to be fair). Its focus on getting more features and advanced hardware has increased too, though, culminating in the recent OnePlus 8 Pro — every bit a true "flagship," and with a price tag to match. Fans of the brand have thus yearned for a return to the alluring value proposition of old, and the company has finally obliged in the form of the OnePlus Nord.
Oppo's Wear OS Apple Watch clone is officially launching globally this fall
Three pairs of affordable true wireless earbuds are also getting a wider release
When I attended Oppo's Inno Day event in December 2019, the company described its grand plans for 2020, particularly in the wearables segment. After launching its very first smartwatch exclusively in China alongside the Find X2 phone series back in March, Oppo is now bringing a Wear OS version to global markets. Three sets of budget true wireless earbuds are also being made available more widely.
Huawei is now the biggest smartphone maker in the world as Samsung's slump worsens
US restrictions haven't hurt Huawei at home where it dominates the market
If you'd told me Huawei would rise to be the world's biggest smartphone vendor this time last year, I would have laughed you out of the room, and yet here we are. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many companies very hard, but Samsung's decline has been steeper than most as many of its key markets are suffering. Meanwhile, Huawei now sells 70% of its smartphones in China, whose economic recovery has been relatively swift in recent months.
Lenovo's first Legion gaming phone features a Snapdragon 865+, 90W charging, and a side pop-up camera
The Legion Phone Duel also has two batteries with liquid cooling and ultrasonic shoulder buttons
Just ahead of the Asus ROG Phone 3 announcement later today, Lenovo has unveiled a rival in the form of its first Legion-branded gaming smartphone. The two Snapdragon 865 Plus devices are set to go head-to-head for mobile gaming supremacy — Lenovo has a few neat tricks up its sleeve including 90W charging, a novel side-mounted pop-up camera, and a 144Hz display.
OnePlus Nord hands-on: A welcome return to the company's affordable roots
And it could be the new mid-range phone to beat
Even though I can’t say I’m a fan of the way each OnePlus product launch is dragged out — with ever-increasing tedium for those of us who have to write about every little tidbit — I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look forward to each launch. In recent years, OnePlus handsets have graduated to become the very flagships the company once sought to kill. This means they’re now among the most critically acclaimed on the market, but it also means that the prices have had to go up. The time is rather perfect, then, for OnePlus to go back to its roots and produce a sub-$500 phone with an enviable feature set.
OnePlus Nord finally revealed in full, starts at £379/€399
Stellar specs and a small price tag, just like the good old days
After what feels like many months of hype, the OnePlus Nord was fully unveiled at an online launch event today. There’s seemingly very little that we didn’t already know about the device, either due to the company’s own drip-feeding of information or recent rumors, but now we’ve got the complete picture. In a welcome return to the OnePlus of old, the Nord boasts a dazzling spec sheet along with a very affordable price tag.